Martha Beauchamp Scruggs

On December 6, 2021, Martha Beauchamp Scruggs passed away at Tallahassee Memorial Hospital surrounded by her family. She was 66 years old. Martha was born on August 13th, 1955 in Marianna, Florida to James Perry Beauchamp and Iris Marguerite Gatlin Beauchamp. She was the youngest of four sisters; Marguerite (Victor) O’Donnell, Judy (Gary) Yancey, and Susan (Wayne) Smokay. She lived her life in Tallahassee where she met her husband Phil Scruggs while attending Fellowship Baptist Church. They both have remained life-long members. The two were later joined in marriage on May 10, 1975. Anyone who knew Martha and Phil knew that the two were inseparable long before their marriage began. They shared 46 beautiful years together and had three children. Leslie (Jimmy) Allen, James-Jay (Liz) Scruggs, and Sean Scruggs. When Martha was not building a family, she was working to make the world a better place with the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice and later Department of Corrections. She dedicated her career to helping others through rehabilitation programs and spearheading substance abuse programs in Florida and Georgia. For those blessed enough to know her, she was a rocksteady foundation of love, strength, and care. Martha loved her family. She was always the first to meet you at the door and the last one you saw standing and waiving in the driveway as you left. You could always find her in the kitchen cooking. She enjoyed cooking and trying new recipes with her family by her side. She loved cooking, especially for others. When she was not preparing for family gatherings, she would often be deep in conversation making the entire room light up. As her children grew up, she instilled this same faith, compassion, and love for others in them as well. As her children went into the world, she would frequently be consulted for her wisdom and counsel. Even if she did not have all the answers, she sought them through prayer and encouraged her family to do the same. As life went on, Martha was blessed with seven grandchildren: Emma, Eli, Dylan, Laura, Iris, Lincoln, and Kane. To these little ones, she was known as Nana. Their Nana spoiled them with sweets, funny stories about their parents, and most of all, an abundance of unconditional love. By her side, she had her husband and best friend with her every step of the way. The two had an unbreakable bond that still lives on. If you ever called her to ask a question, you would commonly hear the same sentence before getting any kind of answer, “Phil, come here, what do you think…”. They were teammates in every way. As we continue forward, Martha will be missed, but she will continue to live on in heaven and in our hearts. She was proceeded in death by her father; James Perry Beauchamp and her mother; Iris Marguerite Gatlin Beauchamp. The family will receive friends from 10:00 AM until 11:00AM, with the service following on Monday, December 13th at Bevis Funeral Home, 200 John Knox Road in Tallahassee. For those unable to attend, the service will be livestreamed via the funeral home website https://www.bevisfh.com/obituaries/Martha-Scruggs-5/#!/PhotosVideos. Burial will follow at Pope Cemetery in Sneads at 1:00 PM (CST). Kelly Barber of Bevis Funeral Home of Tallahassee (850/385-2193 or www.bevisfh.com) is assisting the Scruggs family with their arrangements.

Tributes

Martha Beauchamp Scruggs

August 13, 1955 - December 6, 2021